Category Archives: Equality

Gender pensions gap effectively means retired women go 4 months a year without a pension – TUC

  • Retired women get a third less pension than men – an income gap of more than £7,000 a year.
  • Women approaching retirement have built up half the workplace pension of men on average and are more likely to have no pension wealth at all.
  • TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak calls on Pensions Commission to deliver a “bold plan” to close gender pensions gap.

2 September 2026 was ‘gender pensions gap day’ when the average retired woman would effectively stop receiving a pension if it was paid out at the same rate as men, says the TUC.

Prospect union has calculated that the income gap between men and women in retirement today is 32.9% – more than double the gender pay gap, and the equivalent of the average retired woman going for the four remaining months of the year without a pension.

The TUC is today calling on the Pensions Commission – established by the government to make recommendations on the pension system – to set out a “bold plan” to close this gap.

This should include measures to make workplace pensions work better for people in low paid and part-time jobs, and deliver a State Pension boost for those with unpaid caring responsibilities.

Reasons for the gap 

The union body says that the main drivers of the gender pensions income gap are:

  • Unpaid caring responsibilities: women are much more likely to take time out of paid work or to work part-time due to caring commitments, either bringing up children or looking after older or disabled relatives. One in ten women aged 30-34 are out of paid work because of caring commitments – and women are 18 times more likely than men in this age group to be economically inactive for this reason. Analysis from the Pensions Commission shows the gap in pensions contributions widens significantly when women reach their thirties, and after the birth of their first child.
  • Gender pay gap: across their working lives, women persistently earn less than men and are more likely to work part-time and therefore accrue lower pension contributions. In particular, women are more likely than men to earn below £10,000 or to work in multiple jobs that pay below this rate – the threshold for employers to have to put workers into a workplace pension.
  • State pension: historic differences in the state pension have left currently retired women with lower state pensions on average.

Pensions Commission

The Pension Commission was established by the government last year to make recommendations on the long-term adequacy, fairness and sustainability of the pension system. Its final report is expected early next year.

The TUC says the commission’s interim report – published in May – exposes how women, disabled people, and black and ethnic minority people are at considerably higher risk of not receiving a decent income in retirement.

The report describes a system in which, although participation rates in workplace pensions have doubled due to auto-enrolment, up to 19 million working-age people are not on track for an adequate retirement income.

The TUC says the Pensions Commission provides a much-needed opportunity to close the gender pensions gap and ensure that everyone receives a decent retirement income.

The TUC has highlighted three key solutions for narrowing the gender pensions gap for women retiring in the future:

  • Reforming the occupational pension system so that people on low pay don’t miss out. This should include phasing out the £10,000 automatic-enrolment earnings threshold that excludes many women from workplace pensions, calculating contributions from the first pound of earnings, and ensuring low paid workers can benefit from employer pension contributions even if they are unable to contribute themselves.
  • Ensuring the State Pension better recognises the value of unpaid caring and addresses the penalty faced by those who take time out of paid work because of caring responsibilities. This should include a Carer’s Credit to replace lost workplace pension contributions with additional State Pension on top of the flat-rate New State Pension.
  • Fixing the staffing crises in social care and childcare and ensuring universal, flexible, high-quality childcare is available to all. This will support women to stay in work whilst they balance work and care and address the underlying drivers of the gender pensions gap.

Notes:

Extracts from a longer press release at https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/lese/gender-pensions-gap-effectively-means-retired-women-go-4-months-year-without-pension-tuc

September 16, 2026

Equality impact assessment – Office for Equality and Opportunity & EHRC

As per the Equality Act 2006, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), may issue a code of practice in connection with any matter addressed by the Equality Act 2010.  A Code must contain provisions designed to ensure or facilitate compliance with the 2010 Act or an enactment made under that Act, or to promote equality of opportunity. Before issuing a Code, EHRC needs to submit a draft to the Secretary of State and if approved the Secretary of State will lay a copy before Parliament.

The current Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations was produced in 2011. There have been significant developments in the law since that date which means the Code needed to be updated. The aim of updating the Code is to provide clarity to those providing and using services, those exercising public functions, and those participating in and running associations to help them to understand and comply with the law. Therefore EHRC undertook an exercise in updating the Code. The updates to the Code are primarily where there has been a change or clarification of the law since the original Code was published in 2011.

In updating, EHRC aimed to provide clarity to those providing and using services, those exercising public functions, and those participating in and running associations to help them to understand and comply with the law. The Code seeks to facilitate compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

EHRC completed 2 consultations:

  • October 2024 to January 2025 which received just under 500 responses
  • May to June 2025 following the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers  [2025] UKSC 16, which received around 50,000 responses

Duty 

Ministers must ensure that when exercising their functions, they meet the legal obligations placed on them by the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).  This requires the minister to have due regard to the need to:

  • eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
  • advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not
  • foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

In regard to the updated Code, ministers must have due regard to the above 3 limbs of the duty when making a decision on whether to approve the Code, before laying in Parliament. Therefore this equality impact assessment (EIA) helps ministers consider the equality impact of this decision,  which assists in complying with PSED as set out in the Equality Act 2010. See also EHRC’s Technical Guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty: England.

The duty to comply with PSED is a requirement for both EHRC and ministers. The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) received an EIA for EHRC which captures EHRC’s assessment of the equality impacts of updates to the Code (including those updates made as a result of both the October 2024 to January 2025 EHRC consultation, and the May to June 2025 EHRC consultation) on 13 October 2025 and an updated version April 2026. This EIA has 2 purposes. It both considers EHRC’s equality impact analysis and independently analyses the equality impacts of the updated Code.

This document provides a summary of the key changes to the Code, EHRC position and additional analysis to support ministers in taking their decision on the Code. Analysis is organised into each of the protected characteristics.

Continues with separate sections on each of the Protected Characteristic

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage and civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity (including breastfeeding)
  • Race and ethnicity
  • Religion or belief
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

Then an Annex – additional assessment

Impact on women

The government’s position is that single-sex services should be protected to ensure women’s privacy, dignity and safety. The government also believes in upholding the Equality Act’s protections for trans people and ensuring suitable provision for them.

The published Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) in the main part of this document sets out that the updates to the Code will overall create benefits on the basis of sex. Overall the EIA deemed that the positive impact outweighed the negative.

The Minister for Women and Equalities commissioned an additional assessment of the impact of the Code on women’s rights and protections. This assessment follows below.

Clarity for service providers

Service providers may consider the Code provides certainty and clarity in terms of restricting access to their women-only services and providing protections to women’s privacy, dignity and safety. The Code makes it clear to them that providing women-only services is on the basis of biological sex and therefore they can plan and deliver their services on that basis.

The Code offers additional guidance to service providers. It helps them to make decisions suited to their specific circumstances which reduces the risk of successful legal challenge. Any form of challenge, even if unsuccessful, can create financial difficulty for small organisations and divert resources from delivery of front-line services. Organisations may also welcome transparency on how to organise associations.

The Code provides information on the legal duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees, and we would expect employers to take further action to protect staff accordingly.

The Code provides information on how associations can be formed, and offers clarity that women can legally establish groups with others who have shared interests or lived experiences. Participating in these groups can offer valuable social, physical and mental health benefits and can support positive relations between women.

The Code also provides guidance to help bear in mind the rights of all users, including the  needs of women who need access to single-sex services.

Safety for women

The Code encourages service providers to clearly communicate who services are designed for – for example, via signage – and provides guidance on single-sex provision, empowering women and making them feel confident in making informed choices when accessing services. The Code’s guidance on single-sex provision may also empower women to request women-only services where these are not currently provided, and in circumstances where the conditions for providing such services are met. This could be especially useful for those women who, for cultural or religious reasons, are unable to share some spaces with men. It also particularly supports those women who have experienced domestic abuse or violence from men and feel unable to use services open to those who are not biologically female, including refuges or homeless accommodation.

For pregnant and breastfeeding women the updated Code highlights that harassment relating to breastfeeding may also constitute unlawful harassment on the grounds of sex, confirming that women are protected. The Code also highlights that while the protected characteristic of pregnancy and maternity is not covered directly under the harassment protections in the Act, it is indirectly covered as it amounts to harassment related to sex.

To read the guidance in full go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-code-of-practice-for-services-public-functions-and-associations-2026/equality-impact-assessment

See also:

Equality Act 2010: Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, 2026 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-code-of-practice-for-services-public-functions-and-associations-2026/equality-act-2010-draft-code-of-practice-for-services-public-functions-and-associations-2026

August 26, 2026

UN expert, Reem Alsalem, concerned by UK failure to enforce Supreme Court ruling on sex-based protections

A UN expert has expressed serious concern over the United Kingdom’s failure to ensure the effective implementation of a landmark Supreme Court judgment clarifying that the term “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.

“The continued absence of clear, updated guidance and effective enforcement measures has resulted in widespread non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. “This situation undermines legal certainty with particularly serious consequences for women and girls.”

The Special Rapporteur welcomed the ruling in her report following her recent visit to the United Kingdom. She recommended that the UK Government ensure that all public and private institutions uphold the Supreme Court ruling , and that it provide the necessary guidance to all segments of society to understand the implications of the ruling.

“Without implementation, a court judgment offers little protection in practice,” Alsalem said. “Women and girls are left exposed to continued rights violations and are often compelled to rely on litigation to enforce protections that should already be guaranteed by law — an option that is prohibitively costly and inaccessible for many.”

Nearly one year after the Supreme Court’s ruling of 16 April 2025 in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, the expert noted that the judgment is yet to be translated into binding guidance or enforced across public authorities and service providers. The expert expressed particular concern that non-compliance appears to extend to government departments and public sector bodies, including the National Health Service, the prison service, universities and schools.

“Although the UK Government has accepted that the Supreme Court judgment reflects the law, many public bodies reportedly claim they are awaiting government action to secure parliamentary approval of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations,” the expert said. “At the same time, the earlier 2011 Code — now outdated and inconsistent with the ruling — reportedly remains in use.”

She stressed that the judgment was intended to resolve years of legal confusion surrounding women’s rights to single-sex services, facilities, associations and sports — rights that are central to safeguarding women’s safety, privacy and dignity, and to combating male violence against women and girls. As the first anniversary of the judgment approaches, the expert urged the Government to act without further delay.

“Prompt issuance of compliance guidance and decisive enforcement are essential to give effect to the Supreme Court’s ruling,” the expert said. “Failure to do so not only weakens legal protections for women and girls, but risks eroding public confidence in the rule of law.”

Alsalem recalled that the United Kingdom has long been regarded as a leader in addressing violence against women and girls and its consequences.

“Swift and effective implementation of this judgment would send a clear signal of the UK’s continued commitment to upholding women’s rights and the authority of its highest court,” she said.

Reem Alsalem is the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/un-expert-concerned-uk-failure-enforce-supreme-court-ruling-sex-based

February 17, 2026

Gender pay gap means women effectively work for free for 47 days a year – TUC

  • New TUC analysis reveals the earnings gulf between women and men leaves women making over £2,548 a year less than men on average.
  • This means women effectively only start earning from today – working for a month and a half for free compared to men
  • Women’s pay gap spans across the economy, including female dominated sectors such as health and social care and education.
  • The TUC is calling for ambitious and robust action plans to address this gap, so that working women are finally paid their fair share.

New TUC analysis published reveals that the average woman effectively works for 47 days of the year for free and only starts earning from today compared to the average man. 

The analysis reveals that the gender pay gap currently stands at 12.8%, the equivalent of £2,548 a year for the average woman worker.

That means that at current rates of progress, it will take 30 years – until 2056 – to close the gender pay gap.

The union body says a number of factors are driving the pay gap – including women having to work part-time to accommodate for extended caring responsibilities throughout their lives, therefore taking a significant pay cut.

The TUC says that the government needs to do more if it wants to meet its ambition to close the pay gap.

More opportunities for men and women to share care, improved access to flexible working and better access to childcare must all be part of the solution.

Pay gap across industries  

The pay gap persists across different industries, and even in jobs dominated by female workers, such as education and care:

  • In health care and social work the earning gap is 12.8% – meaning that the average woman effectively works for free for 47 days.
  • In education the earning gap is 17% – meaning that the average woman effectively works for free for 62 days.
  • In wholesale and retail the earning gap is 10.5% – meaning that the average woman effectively works for free for 38 days.

The longest wait for Women’s Pay Day comes in finance and insurance. The gender pay gap (27.2%) is the equivalent of a 99 days, meaning women work for free until 9 April 2026.

Gender pay gap by age

The TUC analysis shows that the gender pay gap affects women throughout their careers, from their first step on the ladder until they take retirement.

The gender pay gap is widest for middle-aged and older women:

  • Women aged 40 to 49 have a gender pay gap of 16.2%, so work 59 days for free until 28 February 2026.
  • Women aged between 50 and 59 have the highest pay gap of 19.7% and work the equivalent of 72 days for free, until 13 March 2026.
  • Women aged 60 and over have a gender pay gap of 17.7%. They work 65 days of the year for free and they start earning from 7 March 2025.

The TUC says the gender pay gap widens as women get older, due to women being more likely than men to take on unpaid caring responsibilities throughout their lives, limited childcare and social care provision, and too few good quality flexible jobs.

Older women take a bigger financial hit for balancing work alongside unpaid caring responsibilities throughout their lives – often looking after children, older relatives, and/or grandchildren.

Need for change

  • Gender pay gap reporting: The TUC says government plans through the Employment Rights Act to make employers publish action plans to tackle the gender pay gap are welcome – but says they must be more ambitious and robust to make a real difference. The union body also says these plans will serve as a blueprint for broader action on forthcoming ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which the government has pledged to introduce – and stresses the importance of getting the framework right from the outset.
  • Parental leave: The TUC says that the government must ensure the parental leave review delivers increased access to paid parental leave so that mums and dads can better share care.

For full press release and table of figures go to https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-gender-pay-gap-means-women-effectively-work-free-47-days-year

February 17, 2026

The impact of motherhood on monthly employee earnings and employment status, England: April 2014 to December 2022 – ONS

The change in employee earnings and employment after having a first, second and third child, for people with children.

  • Having children leads to a substantial and long-lasting reduction in mothers’ earnings; five years after the birth of a first child (Quarter 20), monthly earnings were reduced on average by 42%, or £1,051 per month, compared with earnings one year before the birth.
  • The total earnings loss over five years amounts to an average of £65,618 following the birth of a first child, £26,317 following the birth of a second child and £32,456 following the birth of a third child.
  • Part of this reduction in earnings is the result of a reduction in employment; the probability of paid employment was significantly reduced for five years after the birth of a first child, compared with one year before birth, with a peak reduction of 15.0 percentage points one and a half years after having a child.
  • The probability of paid employment was also significantly reduced after a second and third child for five years, compared with one year before birth, with a maximum reduction of 10.5 percentage points almost two years after the second birth and 10.5 percentage points two and a half years after the third birth.
  • Earnings among those who were in paid employment followed a similar pattern to earnings overall, with the biggest loss in earnings after the first birth, and sustained reductions in earnings for five years after each birth.

Full report at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/bulletins/theimpactofmotherhoodonmonthlyemployeeearningsandemploymentstatusengland/april2014todecember2022

See also
The lasting financial penalty of motherhood https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/our-work/news-and-views/ons-analysis-financial-penalty-motherhood/

 

October 7, 2025